Electric switch lock.



`F. A. KING.

ELECTRIC SWITCH LOCK.

APPLICATION man mm1. 1911.

Patented J an. 7, 1919.

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y Be it known that I,` FRANK A. Krise, a citicen of. the United States, residin inthe city and `county `of Denver and tate of Colorado, haveV invented certain new and useful improvements in Electric-Switch Locks; and I do declare the following to be a afull, clear, and enact description of the invention, suchY as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference beingl had to the accompanying drawings7 andto the characters of reference marked a thereon, Which form a part of this speciiication. p My invention relates generally Qto improvements in switches or malte and `break devices Whichare Well adapted for `use on automobiles for forming the electrical connection With the storage battery or the mag'- iieto as m'ay be required. It Will `be understood that. storage battery `onan automobile isf employed to. produce the electric spark 4required for igniting the mixture in the cylinders oftheengine before the latter is started and consequently before the niagneto` is in operation. Hence when the machine isoriginally started, the sparking apparatus is placed in circuit with the storage battery, While afterthe engine is `started the-.connection is made With the magneto.`

My object is to provide a structure of this class which cannot be tampered With. `The ystructures in common use, may be taken apart in such a Way that access `may be gained to the movable contact whereby the latter may be adjusted by hand for the pur pose of starting theengine, thus making it 'impossible for an unauthorized person to make this adjustment and steal the automobile. In improvement, I make provision "Wherebyit isimpossible for anyone to tamper vvith the svvitch since it isiiecessary to employ a key for unlocking. a lock` which forms a part of the device, before the contact may be shifted from the neutral position, into positionfor operating theignition mechanism.

Hence my `improvement relates more particuiarly te the` safety or locking feature of a switch of this character. a Having briefly outlined my improvement, lfvvill proceed to describe the `same `in detail, reference being" made to the accompany- Snecication of Letters Patent. i Patented 5ML 17, 1919 appiicaagn and Aetna?, 1917. serial No. 164,855. e.

ing drawing ai which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing;

Figure 14 isa top plan View of a switch provided withfniy improvement. a "Fig.2 isa section taken on the line 2-2 Fig. looking toyvard the left. 1 Fig.` 3 is a sectiontaken en the line 3-3 Fig. e. y y a l p Fig. e isan underneath view` of the switch casing' constructed to cooperate with my irnproved lock mechanisin.` y i Ijig.` 5 is a topiplan view ot a Washer forming a part of the structure. y u p Fig. 6 is an inner end vievst of the lock Proper-.1 T i i Eig.; 7 is side elevation of the lock.

The same reference .characters indicate the saine parts inall thevievvs L a Let uthe" nunieral 5 Vdesignate the insulating bo" y "niernber "of the switch in `vvhich is mounted a central pivot pin 6 having a flanged base 7 embedded in the body 5. This pin fornsthepivot for the adjustable mem- Whosebody portion 9 is composedof insnlating material and Whose central pHor-` tion 10 is" composed of metal and perforated to receive thepivotpin 6. The two parts- Sand 10 ofthe adjnstable member or switch block, l are connected to move in unison upon .the `pin 6 during the adjustment of the svvitch for the purpose of making and breaking the electrical connection either With the storage bettery or the magneto (notshovvn). This switch block`` is further equipped With Aa inetal contact` 12 which consists of a segment ithichivhen in the neutral position (see 2) is disconnected from both sonrces of electricity. It then be said to be 1n the neutral position and is in engagement amspring contact 13 which `has a base 14 secnred tothe insulating body 5 as shown at 15 and 16. When the con-` tactr12 is moved tovvardthe left to the dotted line'position in Fig. I2,`one extremity b-ght"intoengagement vvith a spring contact itsoppositeextremity is still in engagement With the spring contact 13.

Under these circumstances, the circuit is establishetlobyivay offelectrical conductors 18 1a"`nd 19, With the storage battery for instance. Again, vvhen the contact 12 is notedtitard the right, one of its extremities may be brought into engagement with a spring contact 20, while its opposite extremity is still in engagement with the spring contact 13. In this event, the circuit throughv the spring contact 17 will be broken, and a circuit established by way of electrical conductors 21 and 22, with the magneto for instance.

My object is to prevent this adjustment of the movable member of the switch except by an authorized person and my improvements whereby this result is accomplished will nowbe described in detail.

My improved construction includes a casing 23 which surrounds the insulating base 5 of the switch and extends above the same, the ,top partV 24 being slightly arched or upwardly inclined toward the center finally merging into a cylindrical me1nber125 which is open at 'the top to receive a cylindrical part27 of a. spider member which includes threejarms 28, 2,9 and 30 Whose extremities are perforated to receive screws 31 through the medium of which thespider is securely anchored to the insulating body 5 ofthe switch,the body vmemberbeing provided with inwardly projecting lugs 32 for the purpose. yWhen the casing is applied, this spiderV member together with the fastening screws, is entirely concealed.

The. inner surface ofthe top 24 of the .casing is provided with a depending hook shaped lug or projection 33 which is adapted t'o receiveY a lip 34y formed on a washer 35 whose opening 36 is of such size as to fit .closely around the -upper portion of the cent-ral .metallic part 10 of the body member of the switch.v This metal part 10, however, is slotted on oppositeY sides from the top downwardly or inwardly to receive two inwardly projecting lugs 37 of this washer, whereby when Ithe washer is in place it is locked upon the adjustable member 8 of the switch and must move therewith. Non mally, or when the switch is in the neutral position, the lip 34 of this washer engages the hook shaped lug 33 of the casing, whereby the casing is locked against removal from the switch. The cylindrical member 27 of the spider terminates a short Ydistance from the top of the cylindrical part of; the casing. Fitting within the cylindrical member 27 ,of the spider is the lock proper designated bv the numeral 38 which is provided with avbarrel 39 the latter fitting into lthe upper part-ofthe cylindrical member` of the casing and engaging the top -of `the cylindrical member 27 ofV the spider. Thek inner extremity of .the barrel of the lock issprovided with oppositely disposed projections 41 which when the parts are assembled, enter the .recessesin thetop of the metal member 10directly above the lugs 37 of the washer 35.l These projections 41 on the lock barrel are shown in Fig. 2, while the member 10 is shown in top plan View in this figure. Hence the recesses 1n the top of the member 10 may be designated by the numeral 42.

The lock 38 when the parts are assembled occupies the position well illustrated 1n 3 and the lock is rotatably held in cooperative relation with the member 27 of the spider, by a pin 43 which is passed through the upper part of the cylindrical member 27 of the spider and engages a circumferential. groove 44 formed in the lock barrel to permit the rotation of the latter whenthe tumblers 45 are in the unlocked position. These tumblers 45 protrude into oppositely disposed grooves 46 formed in themember 27 of the spider when in the locked position, but when a suitable key 47 isl inserted, the exterior surfaces of 4the tumblersare made 'to conform to the curvature of the lock barrel which is slotted on opposite sides to allow the tumblers to protrude.

In the. operation of the device, assuming that thev movable member 8 of the switch is in the neutral position and that the key is removed from the lock whereby the tumblers protrude into opposite grooves of the spidermember 27, it will be impossibleito gain access to the switch for the purpose of moving the member 8, until the key is inserted in the lock. As soon as this isdone, however. the lock barrel may he turned through the instrumantality of the key which is kept in position, sufficiently to cause the contact member 12 to engage the spring contact 17 or 20 as desired. And when this is done, the lip 34 of the washer 35 will be disengaged from the hook shaped lug 33 of the casing, whereby the casing may be removed from the switch as soon as a screw 48 which is inserted in the top of the casing and threaded into the arm 30 of the spider, is removed. But it will be noted that until the device is unlocked and the lip 34 shifted by turning the lock or the barrel through the medium of the key, the lip 34 of the washer will prevent the removal of the casing, and hence will prevent access to the switch for the purpose of moving the arm 8.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular constructlon of lock though that illustrated in the drawing is suitable for the purpose.

Having thus described my invention,

vwhat I. claim is:

1. A mechanismincluding a body member, a second member movable thereon, a third member secured to the body member and merging into a cylindrical part at the top, a. lock arranged within said cylindrical part of the third member and connected in operative relation with the second member, a casing, a direct interlocking connection between the second member and the casing when the second member is in a predetermined position, and an operative connection between the lock and second member i for actuating the latter to unlock the casing.

2. A, mechanism comprising a body member, a second member movable thereon, a spider secured to the body member and merging at its upper extremity into a cylindrical part, a lock arranged Within said cylindrical part and connected in operative relation with the second member, a casing and a direct interlocking connection between the second member and the casing whereby When the second member is ac- Amated through the medium of the lock, the casing is released.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature, in presencd of two Witnesses.

FRANK A. KING.

Witnesses;

MARY HIGGINS, A. EBERT OBRIEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patenti, Washington, D. U. 

